New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-16
MIR. SPARKS STEPS DOWN.
HIS RESIGNATION IN THE PRESIDENTS
HANDS. s-
HE CHARGES THE SECRETARY, WITH AVOIDING
TIE ISSUE A%D WITH HOLDISG nfM
tP TO PUB Ic CENSURE.
lBY rELEGRArn To rHr TRIBUNE

tP TO PUB Ic CENSURE.
ini TELEGRAPH To TIP TRIBUNE.
WAsInNGToN. Nov 15.--rhc letter Of Commissioner
Sparks tho main points of which given below, is
document which Will disluict in Admins
tradon circles. WI at,vcr may have Appeared behind
tho scenes. II is that until a very period
Tho course pursued by "Gcncral7 Sparks has been
approved publicly both by the secretary Of the In
terror and the President The Adminslr alton, in fact
has scenic TO he eager to keep up with Sparks IN his
warfare not only against corrupt ring, but against
honest settlers on the public domain. 1t T. natural
thai tho 'omms ioncr should feel humiliation tho
Tsnit OF his cndcavors. II is also true that he feels
relieved because he Is longer to contend against
ever Increasing sea Of troubles. II should be said for
him that he l. man Of unbending incgity-so un-
bending. In fact, that he is disposed regard all
other people rnscaA. 4 large part Of his time since
he became Commissioner has been employed in Hs.;;;Ig
wndmlllS
In the course Of a long conversation with a TRiBU
'"rrcs spondcn Tonight he showed this plainly, that
whilo he said nothing unpleasant about secretary
Lamar he f that the - called reform policy of the
Administration In regard TO ;hc public land lad
been reversed. IL would not be fair repeat I'll that
Mr. sparks said. 1t l. sufficient 10 say that his cri,i-
ci ms fc.l on Democrats and Republicans alike. He
did not even that political influences either sdc
had contributed to hls downfall but IL apparent
from his manner and expression that he believed that
with his retirement from the Office Of Commissioner.
tho land policy of the Administration which has been
so loudly rXtol!ed In Democratic newspapers and plat
forns would undergo adcal change In the interest Of
What ho would dcnominato land grant rings"
" surN ey ,ne rings and land absorption rings"
EXPrNNIVG THE OMAHA DECISION.
In the first place the Commissioner rccltcs the facts
relating TO the Omaha decision and SAYS that he In
icrs from Mr. Iamars published letter that his decision
was nOt approved hy the law officer Of the Depart
ment. lie goes on then to declare that prior to
1873 lands reserved for Indian and other purposes
wcrc excluded from the grants. lie refers to the
decision of the supreme Court In the Lcavcnworth,
Lawrence and Galveston Railroad and says that
since the date Of that decision lands reserved tho
date Ot the grant. OF definite location have been
regarded and treated excluded not only from all the
grant~. but from indemnity privileges He then goes
ON 10 say that In tho Omaha case tho secretary held
that the company entitled TO indemnity for such
lands, In contra,cnon OF the decision OF the Supreme
Court In tho IcayrnwOrth, Lawrence and Galveston
case lie tiink- mat this decision raised contro-
ycrSy OF momcntous concern and lntmatcs that the
sccrciarys decision waS based on an unrcportcd
decision II the United states Circuit ,OGrt Of Wisconsin
Mr. spark, thcn says that II appears to him that
tho dc.r.on OF the supreme Barney case,
who ls fully discussed In The Mr.. Lamars letter. was
silent upon the question decided n tho Omaha case.
llu gUc- t1 cAprr-- the law points involved In o-
position to tho view tallcn iy Mr. Lamar far a, II
applies 90 tho Omaha ca-c, and then says that the
formal Apication mddc 10y him for review Of Hccrc.
iary'- decision wa couchcd In the most respectful
terms HAT II wa cnmPc.cd about iciohcr 20 but
wa not put upon tho Official records aud vaS not
made public. lie further SAYS uiat ON November 10
h" received nni' from MI Lamar dShlhs hllh 10
,nbmt What ho har 10 say upon his sui Icct, aud
nat his letter wa accordingly sgn'd and delivered
Ia Tho SfcWiaiN. Mr Spafk- iirthrF -ay- ha s'N'la
other Important questions wcr" decided I'm the omaha
ca-o further than tho one referred 10 which justly
cal "r con-ldfa'iou upon the point OF agreement WIN
or couinvrniion ~ dcci-ious ~ The supreme court
o. tho tnt"d .tac-. bu that he confined his appli-
caii1n lnr r"h"afng to th" single point respecting
" indemnify lands.
Mr. sr.ln ays 'la when he -rh@,ct TIC o gi,cr ,tG
n lie, except lpon hi. the secretary s, motion II
add:
TIN rssr'r NoT MT ny Mp. LAMAR.
Il bnt Just - say that The published eVMnnlric
tion addressed Ia and lad before
you no answer 10 my letter ap
plying for review. The isaac raised by me was
strictly OF law. Tho presentation ~ the is-nc
strict, IN the nc 81 lee.d argument. In III"
letter addressed to 10" that i~-ur l. not met a'h the
effect las been io create the erroneous Impression
that thr issue ON" 81 authority alone. and that
had rcfi-cd cute the sccrctarp'- official oilc>
This diversion of the .suo from one Of legal con
struo,lon 10 one 81 auihout, and INSTRUMENTATION +,
thc Substitution of ficc for argument GiNr non 81
tlc public mind Rom the merits "i uc 'i>'. 'll, ~
lc-.-t'd hy mo ~ thi- "sntaion i" you N"l',
ic iI. suppression bs that power oi proper aN'
t & .r Ia,d r. tn 80 urc In IN" public in
t'r,-t impartial D. airing before TIC Sr'I,"iN "l
.tr,tor of he Office with which / am charged
Oicr has been one uf Intense labor Imposing con
stant -cn,c II high responsibility Having ."u-hi II
At YOUR hand. | hayo n'nucd to hold II "nN "u' "i
"A scn-o of duty. with . view of chrctlus some En'I
Ia tho public. haN" cud'd\o'd 10 IL
charge nv fnl duty m 10. In the face 81 many
di-oouragcmrui- and much chumiy aud
an~r nom tlu,r Who-r Interests were TO defeat thc
policies pursued have believed my llnr oi "tl"n
IT, h. correct ard Thought had reason lot the hclcl
that II met y0ur "ppr"Nai ,,t,
If these tccl- ton, fplc~halow a change ln official
policy on tli. euhjcrt. knowing vel What ms VIII
mean iu utActicai application. could NOT Z" '"I0''
with nay SENSE of duty. De the lu'lrhnrht =" 'I''t
the change. Having ever a. now. rgadrd ih' com
mission hold from subject to }out recall anu
desiring relieve yuu o any possible rilbaliA> H'h
herewith tender Won my rc>iPu1il"n of the o'H,' "l
GonnsS luner Of the General Land once ana ask lt'
ncction with your administration beg +" assure
yuu ~ my EARNEST wish thai the Same wisdom hfiil-
ness and integrity which have thu, ilr =" rMln'hlN
married your administration NAV continue I" 'h"''"'
yuu In the estimation uf your countrSmc
Tue ErsIGNhrIo> Not YEI ACCEPTED.
"GrurraI- SPARKS said 10 a Tribune cores i"ndch
to night that he had a pleasant Interview with the
President this aftcrnonn that nothing was said about
hl, retirement but that he Of course, expected that
his resignation would hc accepted lie said that lc
had made the best isli he could against rNriNn"y
concerned in land stealing. aud th" hc W"ui" nav,
been willing To- continue II If the Administration h"i
upheld him. Al the While House tonight II Vas
said that no action whatsoever had breh taken %" MI
NpaTks offer tu resign